Britain may tighten rules for immigrants

LONDON, March 23 (UPI) -- The British government plans to require immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria to be fingerprinted and photographed in order to get public services.

The plan was announced Friday by the Department of Education, The Daily Telegraph reported. Immigrants would be given "biometric residence permits" that would also include a signature stored electronically.

Immigrants from outside the European Union are already required to have the cards.

Under EU law, Britain might have to extend the regulation to all immigrants. A moratorium on immigration from Romania and Bulgaria, two of the newest members of the union, expires next year.

Immigration from Eastern Europe has become an increasingly contentious issue. Recent census data shows that Polish-speakers are now the biggest foreign language group in Britain.

This week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, abandoned a proposal for amnesty for illegal immigrants because of the public backlash.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.